Apparatus for treating narrow fabrics



Feb. 25, 1969 G. R. WALKER ET AL 3,429,054

APPARATUS FOR TREATING NARROW FABRICS Filed Nov. 20, 1967 Sheet or 5 mVEN ro/vs. GEOFFREY nor WALKER H/LMAR ROESSEL Filed Novf 20, 1967 Feb.25, 1969 G, R, WALKER ET AL 3,429,054

APPARATUS FOR TREATING NARROW FABRICS Sheet i of 5' INVEN 7-0)? s.

GEOFFREY ROY WALKER H/LMAR ROESSEL ATTORNEY Feb. 25, 1969 WALKER ET AL3,429,054

APPARATUS FOR TREATING NARROW FABRICS Filed Nov. 20, 1967 Sheet 3 of slNVE/VTORS.

GEOFFREY ROY WALKER H/LMAR ROESSEL ATTORNEY United States Patent3,429,054 APPARATUS FOR TREATING NARROW FABRICS Geoffrey Roy Walker,Philadelphia, and Hilmar Roessel, Oreland, Pa., assignors to QualityWeaving Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov.20, 1967, Ser. No. 684,229 US. Cl. 3460 Int. Cl. F26b 5/14, 3/04, 13/048 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for treating narrowfabrics with a suitable impregnant for preventing shrinkage and also ifdesired for improving the hand, and then curing and drying the fabric ina continuous operation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance withthe invention apparatus is provided for treating narrow fabric in whichthe fabric from a roll is impregnated with the desired impregnant in aliquid state, excess impregnant is removed with simultaneous squeezingof the impregnant into the interior portions of the fabric, theadvancing fabric is delivered onto a conveyor belt and subjected to heatfor drying, and the fabric is then advanced further for curing.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide apparatusfor continuously treating a narrow fa bric to stabilize the same whichis simple in construction, effective in its action, and which has nodeleterious effect on the fabric.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide apparatus ofthe character aforesaid in which the fabric is advanced and conveyed inan effective manner, with subjection to heat at predetermined locationsfor resin setting and for drying.

Other objects and advantageous features of the invention will beapparent from the description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The nature and characteristic featuresof the invention will be more readily understood from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings formingpart thereof, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a preferred embodiment of amachine in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a 'top plan view of the machine of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line 33of FIG. 2.

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawingsherein are illustrative merely, and that various modifications andchanges can be made in the structure disclosed without departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughut the several views.

3,429,054 Patented Feb. 25, 1969 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTReferring now more particularly to the drawings, a suitable frame 10 isprovided which supports, on a bracket 11, a take off roll 12 for one ormore rolls of the narrow fabrics to be treated.

In a particular illustration the fabric for woven labels has a warp offine long staple cotton and a weft of viscose rayon. The ornamentationor lettering is of vat dyed viscose rayon or similar material.

The frame 10 also carries a tank 15 for the impregnant in solution or inliquid suspension. The impregnant is preferably a material which willimpart to the fabric a permanent press finish and may additionallycontain body building agents to give the label a crisp paper type hand.Suitable impregnants for obtaining a permanent press effect areavailable under the name Duraseal and can be applied in a 20% solutionfor baking of the fabric at 300 F. The tank 15 is provided with a guideroll 16 over which the fabric passes, a lower guide roll 17 within thetank 15, and above the tank 15 upper squeeze rolls 18 and 19, one ofwhich is driven and the other of which is moved downwardly by gravity.For some purposes, a single lower guide roll 17 and one set of uppersqueeze rolls 18 and 19 will suflice. If desired however, an additionallower guide roll 20 and upper squeeze Tolls 21 and 22 may be providedfor more thorough impregnation.

An enclosure 25 is provided having a horizontal top wall 26, verticalside walls 27, a vertical entrance wall 28, a vertical exit wall 29, anda floor 30. The Walls 26, 27, 28 and 29 may be insulated, if desired, toconserve heat.

The entrance wall 28 has an opening 31 theret'hrough for an endlessconveyor belt 32, horizontally disposed and carried on supporting rolls33 and 34. The belt 32 extends outwardly of the wall 28 and ispreferably substantially at the level of the top of the roll 21. Thebelt 32 may be of any desired heat resistant material and constructionwith adequate friction on its exposed face, and is preferably of wovenasbestos. In a particular embodiment the belt 32 has a width of twentyinches.

The rolls 18 and 21 have their supporting shafts journaled in bearings35 fixedly carried by the frame 10 and the rolls 19 and 22 have theirsupporting shafts journaled in bearings 36 slidably vertically mountedso that the rolls 19 and 22 can move downwardly under their weight sothat with the rolls 18 and 21 the fabric is gripped and squeezed toprevent the advance of an undesired quantity of impregnating materialand to force the impregnating material into the interstices of thenarrow fabric and increase the pentration for impregnation.

The rolls 18 and 19 have driving sprockets 37 and 38 and the roll 33 hasa driving sprocket 39 with which a driving chain 40 is in engagement.

A motor and speed reducer 41 has a sprocket 42 which engages the chain40 to drive the rolls 18, 21 and 33 in unison and thereby provide thesame linear velocity at the periphery of the roll 21 and at the outersurface of the belt 32.

The supporting roll 34 has vertically slidably mounted thereabove a roll44 to hold the narrow fabric down against the belt 32 at the roll 34 andguide the fabric as it leaves the belt 32.

A plurality of parallel upper rolls 45 are provided suitably journaledin bearings 46 along the side walls 27 and have driving sprockets 47exteriorly disposed with respect to one of the side walls 27.

Lower guide rolls 48 are also journaled in bearings 49 outside the sideWalls 27.

In order to drive the rolls 45 in unison and at the desired velocity adriving roller chain 50 is provided en- 3 gaging the sprockets 47. Thechain 50 is guided by lower supporting idler sprockets 51 and an uppersupporting idler sprocket 52. The sprockets 51 and 52 may be adjustablymounted in a well known manner so as to apply the desired tension on thechain 50.

The chain 50 is engaged with a driving sprocket 53 keyed to a shaft 54which also has a sprocket 55 keyed thereto. The shaft 54 has take offroll 56 mounted thereon as an idler and the sprocket 55 is connected bya roller chain 57 to a sprocket 58 keyed on a shaft 59. The shaft 59 hasa driven take off roll 60 driven thereby and has a sprocket 61 keyedthereto.

The sprocket 61 has a roller chain 62 engaged therewith, the chain 62being driven from a sprocket 63 on the output shaft 64 of a take offdrive motor and speed reducer unit 65.

The frame also carries a guide rod 66 for directing the narrow fabricfrom the roll 60.

In order to provide heat for drying at a spaced location above the belt32, a plurality of horizontally dis posed electric heating units 70 inreflectors 71 are provided.

Above the heating units 70 an air preheater 73 may be provided with anentrance screen 72 carried thereby and with electric heating elements 74therein for heating air drawn through and below the preheater 73. An airinlet opening 166 partially closed by a lamp reflector 67 for lamp 68provides for limited air make up. The lamp 68 provides for lighting theinterior of the enclosure 25 to observe the operation.

A circulating fan 76 on a shaft 77 draws air through the preheater 73and causes it to flow downwardly between the preheater 73 and theentrance wall 28 where it picks up some heat from the heating units 70and the belt 32 and passes downwardly in the space beneath the belt 32and into the space in which the rolls 45 and rolls 48 carry the fabricbeing treated.

The circulating fan shaft 77 extends through the entrance wall 2-8, iscarried in bearings 78 on the frame 10 and has a driving sprocket 79keyed thereto.

The sprocket 79 is driven by a roller chain 80 which engages a sprocket81 keyed to a shaft 82. The shaft 82 is driven by a circulating fandriving motor 83 which is mounted on the entrance wall 28 at the upperpart thereof.

The top wall 26 preferably above the centermost of the rolls 45 has avent opening 85 with a duct 86 connected to an exhaust fan 87 which isdriven by an exhaust fan motor 8-8 for withdrawing air carrying moistureand for solvent pick up by air circulated within the enclosure 25.

In order to protect the fabric as well as the belt 32 if the same arenot in motion, a blcwer 90 is carried on the entrance wall 28 fordirecting a strea mof cool air horizontally below the heating units 70to carry the heat away from that location and for withdrawal by theoperation of the exhaust fan 87.

One of the side walls 27 may be provided with an access door 92 foraccess to the heating units 70, the air preheater 73 and to the belt 32.An access door 93 in the same wall 27 provides access to the drive rolls45 and the idler rolls 48 for inspection and for initial mounting of thenarrow fabric.

The mode of operation should be apparent from the foregoing but will bereviewed briefly.

Narrow fabric to be treated and carried on a take off roll 12 isadvanced over the guide roll 16 and caused to pass down through tankaround the guide roll 17 and then upwardly and between the squeeze rolls18 and 19 where excess liquid is removed while liquid is also forcedinto the interstices of the fabric. The fabric may then be passeddownwardly into the tank 15 for a second immersion guided by the guideroll and then advanced upwardly and between the squeeze rolls 21 and 22where the excess liquid is removed and the liquid is again forced intothe interstices of the fabric.

Upon subjection of the fabric to the liquid in the tank 15 there is aninitiation of a tendency to shrink.

The fabric from between the squeeze rolls 21 and 22 moves onto theconveyor belt 32 where it is subjected to the action of the heat fromthe heating units 70 to effect the drying of the fabric from the tank15.

The subjection of the fabric to heat for drying further enhances theshrinkage and it is considered desirable that no stress or tension beimparted to the fabric at this location. To effect this the linearvelocity of the belt 32 and consequently of the fabric moving thereonmust be the same as the linear velocity of the fabric as it movesthrough the squeeze rolls 21 and 22.

Following the drying of the resins which was effected as the fabricadvanced with the belt 32 the fabric is directed for curing over thefirst roll 45, under the first roll 48 and then successively in similarmanner over the remaining rolls 45' and under the remaining rolls 48.

The air circulated in and around the fabric as it is advanced by therolls 45 aids in removing moisture so that the fabric withdrawn throughthe exit wall engaging the take off rolls 56 and 60 moves over the guiderod 66 and is dropped into any convenient receptacle.

It will thus be seen that apparatus has been provided for attaining theobjects of the invention.

We claim: 1. Apparatus for treating narrow fabrics comprising a tank forfluid impregnating material, squeeze rolls above the tank for advancingthe fabric therebetween to and through the tank, said rolls limiting thequantity of impregnant carried forward by the fabric and forcing theimpregnant into the fabric, an enclosure having an entrance wall and anexit wall, an endless conveyor belt extending through said entrance wallinto the interior of the enclosure, said belt being contiguous to saidsqueeze rolls for the reception of fabric therefrom, means for drivingsaid squeeze rolls and said belt at the same peripheral speed wherebysaid fabric is advanced without stretching thereof, heating means insaid enclosure for applying heat to the fabric on said belt, saidenclosure having a plurality of spaced sets of upper and lower rolls forreceiving the fabric from said conveyor belt, means for driving therolls of one of said sets for advancing the fabric engaged therewith,means for circulating hot air over the fabric engaged with said sets ofrolls for curing said fabric, and take off rolls for said fabric at theexit wall of said enclosure. 2. Apparatus for treating narrow fabrics asdefined in claim 1 in which said heating means includes horizontallydisposed heating elements in spaced relation above said conveyor belt.3. Apparatus for treating narrow fabrics as defined in claim 1 in whichsaid means for directing hot air includes a fan above said heatingmeans. 4. Apparatus for treating narrow fabrics as defined in claim 1 inwhich means is provided for shielding the fabric on said conveyor beltfrom the heat from said heating means. 5, Apparatus fortreating narrowfabrics as defined in claim 1 in which common driving means is providedfor said take off rolls and said sets of rolls. 6. Apparatus fortreating narrow fabrics as defined in claim 1 in which said enclosurehas an upper wall with a vent opening,

and a venting fan is connected to said opening.

5 6 7. Apparatus for treating narrow fabric as defined in ReferencesCited claim 1 in which I said squeeze rolls have another set of squeezerolls UNLED STATES PATENTS above said tank and in series therewith, and1,595,237 8/ 1926 Minton 34-9 lower guide rolls are provided in the tankfor each S 5 2,445,443 7/1948 Long 3460 of squeeze rolls.

8. Apparatus for treating narrow fabrics as defined in claim 1 in whichWILLIAM J. W YE, Primary Examiner.

an air heater is provided within said enclosure for supplying heat tothe air directed by said circulating US, Cl, X,R means. 346, 9, 95

3,009,257 11/1961 Scott 3495

